La Ceiba is considered the ecotourism capital of Honduras with many nature oriented activities. Ceibita la bella (Ceiba the beautiful) hosts the Cangrejal River, rainforests, beaches and a lively nightlife.

Just last week the BBC affiliated chef published a video of Honduras. It was focused on the security, or lack of security in Honduras. As expected, the video went viral and the local newspapers made sure they put this trusted news source on their front page. The result is clear; we are reinforcing the perception […]

Life in Honduras! When it’s freezing cold in many parts of the world, in Honduras the sun is always shining; because of its tropical location, every day of the year people can enjoy pleasant weather, with an average annual temperature of 27 ºC (80 ºF), so climate is no obstacle to enjoying each and every day. The […]

It may not appeal to everyone, but CNN has included Honduras in their top tourist destinations for 2016. One of the reasons, and probably the most controversial one, why Honduras is valued less as a tourist destination is the fact that it is being tagged as the murder capital of the world. Honduras has […]

Reaching a height of 2,435 meters above sea level and covering an area of 1,703 km2, Pico Bonito, which became a protected area in January 1987, covers the departments of Atlántida and Yoro, which are home to 500 of the 738 species of birds found in Honduras. (More about Honduras Birds – In depth study)

Among the birds that can be seen are quetzals, black-headed orioles, keel-billed toucans, brown pygmy owls, red-rumped parrots, jacamars, lovely cotingas, and hummingbirds, according to Enrique Graugnard, the assistant manager of The Lodge at Pico Bonito, an eco-hotel responsible for managing the area with the Pico Bonito National Park Foundation (FUPNAPIB).

The emerald-chinned hummingbird is endemic to Honduras and lives in Pico Bonito National Park.(Photo by: René Novoa for Infosurhoy.com)

Additionally, Pico Bonito features more than 100 species of mammals, including pumas, ocelots, collared peccaries, tapirs, armadillos, gray-bellied night monkeys, capuchin monkeys, Central American agoutis, deer and rodents such as pacas, among others.

Eighty types of amphibians, including red-eyed tree frogs, can also be found, as well as 115 types of snakes, of which only 10 are venomous, including the yellow beard pit viper, coral snake and eyelash viper.

Pico Bonito has a tropical rainforest climate from its base up to 1,800 meters above sea level, where conditions change to a cloud forest climate reaching to the top of the mountain.

Honduras received 992,000 visitors in 2013, with revenue totaling US$675 million, while in 2012, a total of 844,000 tourists, representing US$650 million in revenue, visited the country, according to the Tourism Secretariat.

In the region, visitors can kayak the rapids of the Cangrejal River, fish or hike to waterfalls.

Those visiting Pico Bonito National Park can kayak on the Cangrejal River.(Phot by: René Novoa for Infosurhoy.com)

“For tourists who are interested in birdwatching in Pico Bonito, we offer guided mountain tours [which last three to five hours],” said Graugnard.

The tour begins at 6 a.m. local time, which is when the birds are most active, according to Joel Mejía, one of the park’s tour guides.

“The birds go out to eat early in the morning when there are fewer predators in the area, such as hawks or owls,” he added.

Mejía recommends tourists carry insect repellent, binoculars or a camera with a 200 to 500-mm lens, a notebook for sketching and water. Visitors also should wear dark clothing to blend in with the environment.

“During the tour it is also necessary for tourists to walk slowly in silence and, when possible, near hedges and bushes to go unnoticed because birds have infallible vision,” he said.

“Luck also plays a role in birdwatching because this isn’t a zoo,” Mejía added. “It’s a park where the birds are free to fly where they wish.”

Guides have developed a technique to help tourists.

“When they want to see migratory species or birds that are hard to find, we use recordings of their birdsong to facilitate observation,” he said.

The tour is not limited to birdwatching, as visitors can also see mammals and reptiles.

“As tour guides, we receive ongoing training to prevent any incidents from taking place,” Mejía said. “The risks in the forest are not limited to the diverse wildlife that we have because the climate can also be a factor that affects tourists.”

The spectacular scenery makes visitors want to return, as was the case with Dr. Pablo Bedrossian, who moved to Honduras from Argentina in 2009 and took up birdwatching a year later.

The Pico Bonito Mountain, located in northern Honduras, reaches 2,435 meters above sea level and covers an area of 1,703 km2. The national park is home to 500 species of birds, 100 types of mammals, 80 amphibians and 115 varieties of snakes.(Photo by: René Novoa for Infosurhoy.com)

“Originally, I wasn’t drawn to watching birds at all,” he said. “But that year I went with a group of friends on an expedition in Patuca National Park [in eastern Honduras, in the department of Olancho] and from that initial contact with God’s creation, I was sucked into this new world that continues to fascinate me.”

As of December 2013, he had recorded 450 bird species, 210 of which he had seen at Pico Bonito.

“Honduras is home to an extraordinary variety of birds, and there are areas that are almost untouched by human contact, which makes it worthwhile to explore the various parks and appreciate the country’s natural beauty,” Bedrossian said. “Come and see for yourself.”

How to get there?

Tourists can fly to the Golosón International Airport in La Ceiba, or take buses to that city from Tegucigalpa, at about US$40 a person. Hotel rooms are available from US$25 to US$40 a night. La Ceiba is 400 kilometers north of Tegucigalpa.